


those magic changes

by voidisa



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Grease, Princess Prom, Romance, Singing, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:14:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27986748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voidisa/pseuds/voidisa
Summary: Just like all of the ships he set ablaze, he ignited the flames within her and watched as they burned away all the tough, hardened edges.Perhaps fire was her weakness after all.A quiet moment on the balcony during Princess Prom.
Relationships: Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 25





	those magic changes

**Author's Note:**

> First things first, Mermista is HARD to write, and I hope that I did okay for my first time because she's my favorite and I want this to be good. 
> 
> Second, this idea came to me when I was listening to the Grease Live soundtrack the other day. I pointed out that Jordan Fisher sings "Those Magic Changes" in the musical, and my husband said, "I can picture Sea Hawk singing this to Mermista now." So naturally, I had to write it. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys enjoy!

Princess Prom was an absolute nightmare. 

Of course, Mermista loved parties, but only when they were actual _parties_. So far, there had only been light classical music playing and pleasantries being exchanged between strangers. There was only so much she could handle when guests she’d never met before approached her and wanted to discuss politics and the weather and other utterly boring topics that she saved for days when she was in work mode. It seemed that some of these people just didn’t know how to turn it off, and she was getting a headache just thinking about having to return inside and answer more questions she didn’t care to think about right now. The most popular one was, “Does the King of Salineas have any plans for stopping the Horde?” Though this was neutral ground and the rebellion was supposed to be kept under wraps, it didn’t stop the wealthy and elite from wanting to know, and Mermista always had to roll her eyes and come up with some fake answer like, “It’s being discussed.” 

But the truth was, she had no idea where her father and mother were, and she was left all alone to make decisions about Salineas’s future. Which was _fine_ , she guessed, but she kind of missed them, wherever they were. They always loved doing all this boring crap. When it was her turn to host Princess Prom, she vowed that it was going to be lively and exciting from beginning to end, an event that people would be talking about for years. 

She sighed, leaning on the icy ledge of the balcony and gazing out across the kingdom of Snows. It was beautiful, but in a sort of haunting, mysterious way, like it held loads of secrets under its icy depths and wintery silence, which was just how she liked it. It felt like the beginning of one of her favorite mystery novels, far too quiet and peaceful, a foreboding sign that something major was about to happen.

That was all fiction, though. In reality, she was trapped here with a bunch of princesses with drama issues she didn’t care to ask about. She liked hanging out with Perfuma, and Bow was pretty cool for the most part, but whenever she was with them and thought maybe she could actually start having fun, she would catch Glimmer lurking around in the shadows being a total stalker, and she’d have to go away because she knew there was something about to go down that she didn’t want to be a part of. Not to mention She-Ra running around obsessively after that cat girl from the Horde. 

Love, she thought, maybe made people do some crazy things, which was kind of annoying. 

And speaking of annoying, Sea Hawk was probably somewhere in there searching for her. That was another reason she had to escape to the balcony, because he was driving her absolutely insane. He was like her shadow, and she could never quite seem to shake him. The only reason she’d managed to get away this time was because the kitchen staff had brought out some flaming dessert he couldn’t take his eyes off of. He loved fire, that was for sure. She was beginning to think he was a pyromaniac, which wasn’t so bad. Sometimes she liked setting things on fire too. 

But he could never know that. He’d fall so hopelessly in love he’d never be able to swim his way out. 

The problem with Sea Hawk was that she liked him. She liked the constant doting, the compliments, the singing and waxing poetic, the tall tales he told about his time on the sea. He was kind and funny and dramatic and brave and, for the most part, very smart. Not to mention that he was a good fighter, perfectly fit, and -- when he wasn’t trying to be obnoxious -- a pretty good kisser. Better than all of the Salineas citizens she’d ever kissed. Of course, she’d never admit that to him. It would inflate his already overbearing ego. 

And maybe liking him wasn’t necessarily the problem here, but the fact that liking him didn’t really make much sense. They were two totally different people with polar opposite personalities that should have made them hate each other, and yet, she couldn’t find it in her cold, dead, doom and gloom heart to resent him for his optimism and naivety. She could only push him away while her friends made her the punchline of their jokes and she insisted that he was simply her ride to and from the prom. 

But, if she was being honest with herself, she was sure that he would be staying in Salineas tonight after the festivities. Possibly in her bed. 

She sighed again, leaning further over the ledge to peer down at the people moving around below her. They looked so far away from her, though she was only a couple of stories up. The entire world was a canvas of various whites and silvers and blues, and the night sky was as dark as her hair. The pale moon cast strange shadows over the snow banks that looked like monsters prowling and illuminated the partygoers in a strange, ethereal glow like some heavenly spotlight. From inside, the classical music played at a volume that made the ice beneath her feet vibrate and threaten to shatter, and the sounds of laughter and idle chatter laced with the soft melody to create a peaceful ambience. She could be alone here and brood for hours, maybe even fall asleep. 

Maybe Snows wasn’t as bad as she had originally thought. 

She only had her eyes closed, reveling in the silence of the night, for a few seconds when she heard the footsteps behind her. There was no reason for her to be alarmed, not even with the Horde princess and her cat friend on the loose, but still, she flinched and turned around to see who would dare disturb her peaceful alone time. 

Sea Hawk stood in the doorway with pink and blue lights flashing behind him, a far too delighted grin on his lips and a twinkle in his dark eyes. He held two champagne glasses in either hand and offered one to her. 

She ignored him, groaning as she shook her head and made her way across the balcony to the other side, where she could effectively turn her back on him. "What are you doing up here? I'm trying to run away from you," she said, pursing her lips together as she stared out into the night. There was snow drifting down from the sky now, only a light sprinkle, but it felt as if the temperature had plummeted in the past few minutes. 

"You run all the time, but I'll always be there to follow," Sea Hawk replied, sidling up next to her. He leaned against the railing in what he probably thought was a seductive way, and she rolled her eyes and turned her head away from him. 

"You have no idea how creepy you sound right now," she said. 

"Only creepy if you don't want me here," Sea Hawk said. "In which case, you can say the word, and I'll leave you alone." 

"Go. Away," Mermista hissed through gritted teeth, still refusing to meet his gaze, though she could feel his eyes boring into her, questioning her, breaking down all of those walls she refused to let anyone past. He was the only one that could do that, and she resented him for it. 

"May I give you a parting gift, my love?" Sea Hawk asked. 

Her nails dug into the railing, and she shook her head, blowing out a breath. "If it's a kiss, then --" 

"No, of course not. Only when the lady insists." She could hear the smugness dripping from his tone. Despite all of her rejections, she would eventually fall back into his arms at the end of the night, and it was all of her own accord. It was a truth she would not admit even to herself, but she would be lost without him. 

"Why do you talk that way?" she asked, her tone as chilly as the night air. "Be normal for once in your life." 

"My dear, there isn't a normal, and if there were, why would I want to be it?" He jumped up onto the thin railing, still holding the glasses, and wobbled a little bit. Instinctively, she reached out to help him balance, then drew back. He smiled at her, a dazzling, showstopping smile that made her heart speed up just a little bit. It took everything in her not to smile back, to lean into his embrace. They were alone, after all. There were no friends to make snide comments to her, and she could pretend that things made sense for the time being. 

"Not everything is a show, Sea Hawk," she said, "and not every day is an adventure. Some days, you're just at a quiet Princess Prom with a guy you're not really supposed to like, and you want to just go home and go to bed." 

He was silent for a moment, and she finally looked up at him to study his expression. He wasn't hard to read, not like her. Everything was always a leap of faith for him, a fantastical story to tell to his friends in the oceanside bars. He would probably try to spin this godforsaken night into some wonderful expedition with sword fights and song. It was both endearing and infuriating. 

"Are you ready to leave?" he asked. "We could go home --" 

"Home? _I'd_ be going home," she said harshly. "You'd be going...wherever you go when you're not with me. Don't talk about Salineas like it belongs to both of us, like we've created something there for us to share." 

He held his hands up defensively, and she sighed, surrendering herself. Perhaps she'd overreacted. The cold was starting to get to her, and she was a little on edge. 

"I can take you to your lovely palace if you want, my dear," he said. "If you're ready." 

"I'm ready for you to leave." 

"So be it." He hopped down from the railing and handed her a glass of champagne. This time, she didn't resist. Perhaps the bubbly drink would help warm her bones just a little. She shivered, taking a sip. "May I leave you with a gift?" 

She shrugged. "Whatever." 

He smiled, producing a beautiful blue flower with heart-shaped petals from his jacket, then bowed before her in presentation. "A flower for my flower." 

"Ugh." She accepted it with a snatch, hoping that he couldn't see the steady blush crawling up her neck. She was never really a flower person, but the thought put into it was nice. As princess, she received gifts all the time, but not quite as often as now, with Sea Hawk giving her something new almost every day. She thought back to when he first asked her out and she rejected him, and he brought her a brand new ship the very next day named after her. 

He set it on fire less than a week later, which, she thought, was a rather good metaphor for their shaky relationship. 

"Until you're ready to leave, my sweet," he said, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. The warmth of his lips and his breath on her skin made her shiver even more, and she jerked away before she could make a fool of herself. 

She wasn't going to let Sea Hawk make her _feel_ things. 

When he rose to his full height again, she could see the concern pulling at his mouth, simmering in his gaze, and she tried to quell the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. No one had ever looked at her with such care or tenderness before. They always assumed she was as tough as she made everyone believe, but only Sea Hawk could see right through her, could see that sometimes she needed help too. 

"Cold?" he asked, already removing his jacket for her, and she scowled, turning her back on him again. The snow was falling heavier now. It was sticking to her skin and melting there, freezing her to the core. What had she been thinking, coming to a place called Snows dressed like this? 

"I'm fine," she grumbled, but it didn't matter if she was or wasn't because Sea Hawk was Sea Hawk, and he was going to take care of her no matter what. She felt him slide the jacket over her shoulders, and she huddled into it, breathing in the scent of him -- smoke and saltwater and sunshine. “Won’t you be cold though?” 

“I’m going back inside, remember? To leave you with your thoughts, which I very much hope are of me.” He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes, her hands wrapping so tightly around the champagne glass she feared she might break it. 

“A toast to the two of us!” Sea Hawk exclaimed, raising his glass. “To the Princess Alliance, to the rebellion, to a brighter future --” 

With a sigh, she offered him a sympathetic smile and clinked the glasses together, and they both drank deeply in silence as the snow flurried again. It fell across Sea Hawk’s hair gracefully, and a few flecks stuck against his mustache. If the cold wind blowing by bothered him, he showed no sign of it. For a moment, she had this strange impulse to reach up and wipe the snow away, but she resisted the urge, instead staring into her almost empty glass. 

“Perhaps when I tell the story of tonight, I’ll spice it up a bit,” Sea Hawk mused. “I’ll say that the Horde princess and her friends started a fight, and I defeated five -- no, ten! -- bots all on my own!” He jumped up on the railing, which was just barely wide enough for him to stand, and walked across it, wobbling all the way. “I’ll tell people they sent tanks, and one of the princesses was kidnapped! Perfuma! No, Glimmer? Which one is more believable? Who cares? And I led a rescue mission with you and She-Ra. There were lasers and sword fights and --” 

“Sea Hawk!” 

His foot slipped, and before she could even process what was going on, he was falling backward, his arms windmilling as he desperately tried to regain his balance. For a long moment, time felt as frozen as the palace of Snows, and Mermista could only stare as Sea Hawk was suspended in midair, arms reaching for her. On instinct, she lunged forward and took his hands as her champagne glass shattered against the ground, splattering her legs with the liquid. She didn't even feel like she was thinking properly, but she had caught him, she had saved him from meeting a snowy death at the bottom of this giant palace. 

"Mermista," he said with admiration, his eyes as bright as the stars in the sky. She loved the way he looked at her, like she was some sort of goddess or magical creature that had descended from the heavens to grace him with her presence. But right now, with him dangling off the side of the building like this as she struggled to pull him back up, she was _infuriated._

"What were you thinking?" she shouted as she pulled him up over the edge. His jacket had fallen off of her, and she was left freezing again, though the flames of rage burning inside of her would keep her warm for now. He swung his legs over the ledge and landed on the ice and snow beneath them, nonchalantly dusting himself off as if he had just come back from a leisurely walk instead of nearly plummeting to his death. 

"I was merely demonstrating the way I was planning on telling the story --" 

"You could have _died_!" She realized she was shaking now, and she didn't think it was because of the cold. Panic swelled in her chest like a bubble about to burst, and she felt warm tears stinging at the corners of her eyes, but she _would not_ cry over something stupid like this when Sea Hawk had done far riskier things in his life. 

She shouldn't cry about him at all. It was the champagne, that was it. She'd had one too many tonight. 

"Mermista," he whispered, his eyes wide with perplexity. He took a cautious step toward her, his hands outstretched like he was approaching a beast and was trying not to startle it. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think that I would fall. But...what's life without a few near-death experiences, eh?" 

Before she could even get control of herself, she smacked him in the side, then collapsed into a fit of tears. She had _never_ cried in front of anyone before, but something about seeing him slip off that railing sent her into a very dark place that she currently couldn't find her way out of. "You idiot!" she shouted through her tears. "Why do you keep doing dangerous things all the time? When something happens to you, you leave people behind, and it hurts." 

"It --" He stood staring at her, his mouth hanging open with words he couldn't quite say. He was just as confused as she was about her outburst, but she couldn't stop crying, no matter how hard she tried. And she hated it more than anything, because now she looked weak, and now he knew how deeply her love and affection ran for him. 

That was something that made her even weaker. She didn't _want_ people to know she cared. It would ruin everything. But here she was, destroying the hard exterior she had worked so hard to build and maintain. 

"Mermista, my dearest, my sweet," he crooned, like she was suddenly fragile and one wrong touch might break her. She felt his arms wrap around her, his fingers brush against her bare midriff, and she pushed him away because she _wasn't_ fragile, she didn't _need_ anyone saving her. Least of all him. 

"Go away," she growled, wiping at the tears staining her cheeks. "I want to be alone." 

"I will leave you for as long as you need, my love." He bent down and grabbed the blue flower, which was lying in the puddle of champagne, then slowly, cautiously, tucked it behind her ear with a gentle smile. "Have I told you how simply elegant you look tonight?" 

She groaned, sniffling, and rubbed at her eyes. The tears had stopped, it seemed, but she still felt like there was something inside of her that was teetering on the edge, ready to break at any moment. She looked up to meet his gaze, and it felt like all of the walls came crumbling down all at once. Why did he have to look at her _like that_? Like he cared so much, like every foul word and wrong act she committed against him didn't bother him at all. 

She had no idea what she was thinking, no clue why she desperately needed him tonight of all nights, but she fell forward into his arms, burying her face against his shoulder and breathing him in as she relaxed her aching muscles and let the stress of her life fall away from her. A few more tears fell, and she clutched him tighter, hoping that he wouldn't wither from her grasp just like everyone else in her life had. But he was strong, he was sturdy, and he was prepared to fight for her and beside her at all costs. 

"Hmm." She felt the rumble of it travel through her body, and his hand carefully cradled her cheek as he pushed back a strand of her hair. She couldn't resist melting into him, closing her eyes and feeling his light, callused touch against her skin. 

She sighed, and his hands left her face, instead trailing down to her waist as he guided her into a gentle sway. They hadn't danced together tonight, she realized, and she had meant to keep it that way, but there was no one around to see, no one to witness how truly vulnerable she was. She could fall into his arms and be as soft and gentle as she liked, and tomorrow, when the mystical fog of this wayward night was over, then things could go back to normal. 

"Why am I like this?" she asked with a groan. 

"Because you're afraid," he said, and before she could snap at him like she intended to do, he added, "afraid of letting people in and letting them see the real you. You're afraid that they won't like what they see. You're afraid they'll leave." 

"That's ridiculous," she said, though there was not much fight in her words, because she knew that, to an extent, it was true. He understood her in ways that other people didn't. _Mermista's weakness is fire_ , they always said, but they never thought that maybe her weakness was her own hardened heart. 

"I can assure you, my beautiful, flawless angelfish, that I will not ever abandon you. You may push me away and tell me you hate me all you like, but I will always be by your side whenever you need me." 

She scoffed and rolled her eyes as he continued to lead them in a dance across the balcony. “Angelfish? That’s gross. Don’t call me that. Ever.” She hoped he couldn’t tell the compliment had sent her heart into a flutter. She secretly enjoyed the strangeness and charm of his words. 

“Sunfish?” 

“No.” 

“Lionfish?” 

“Better…” 

“...blowfish?” 

“Sea Hawk!” She punched him in the arm, and he fell into a fit of hearty laughter that warmed her to her very core. She tried to scowl at him, tried to look even vaguely threatening, but she could feel the smile tugging at her lips, and she knew that her walls were falling down once again. Just like all of the ships he set ablaze, he ignited the flames within her and watched as they burned away all the tough, hardened edges. 

Perhaps fire was her weakness after all. 

“You know I jest with you,” he said, taking her into his arms once again and pressing a light kiss to her temple. Her first instinct was to recoil, to groan and roll her eyes and make some sort of snide comment, but she found herself brushing the snow from his mustache and admiring the little flakes clinging to his long eyelashes instead. She suddenly felt breathless and weak as he pulled her closer to him and spun them around in circles, humming a song she didn’t recognize underneath his breath. 

She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck and running her fingers through his incredibly soft hair. She could be okay with this, she thought. They could rest easily in each other’s arms, and she could be at peace with the world. Maybe one day she could even be at peace with the way she felt about him. 

She closed her eyes, resting her head against his shoulder as he held her tightly, spinning them around in slow circles as snow drifted lazily around them. She should be freezing, but it didn’t seem to matter at this point. She could feel the vibrations of his humming traveling through her body, and it soothed her. 

“Will you be staying in Salineas tonight?” she asked, trying not to sound too hopeful or too desperate. She would _die_ if he knew how badly she wanted him to stay. 

He chuckled and nodded as he pressed a kiss into her hair. “If that’s what you desire, then so be it.”   
Then, he began to sing, and his steps came faster, lighter, like they were dancing on air, and Mermista stumbled and nearly fell as she tried to keep up with him. “ _What’s that playin’ on the radio? Why do I start swayin’ to and fro?_ ”

She groaned as he led her into a complicated dance that made her feel clumsy and awkward in a way she’d never felt before. Very un-princesslike. When she took dancing lessons as a child, her parents used to tell her that dancing was just like swimming without the water -- it required the same coordination and precision, and with practice, she would master both. 

She’d dropped the dancing lessons after her parents left, mostly as an act of rebellion so that she could rule the kingdom _her_ way and not in the same snooty, elitist way that her parents often did, but dancing with Sea Hawk now and seeing how much better he was at all of this than she was made her want to take it back up again. Perhaps now, with a better teacher. 

“I hate dancing,” she grumbled, as he swung her away from him and motioned for her to twirl back in. She scowled, unhappy with the ridiculous dance, but she twirled into his arms anyway, her back pressed against his chest as his arms encircled her waist and they swayed back and forth together. He buried his face against her neck, his lips just barely brushing against her skin as he continued to sing, and she wanted to scream, to fight against this feeling that she desperately did not want to feel. 

But it was a feeling that she _liked_ , and that was the hardest part for her to accept. 

“ _‘Cause those chords remind me of the night that I first fell in love to those magic changes. My heart arranges a melody that’s never the same, a melody that’s calling your name…_ ” 

He dipped her in his arms very suddenly, lowering her so close to the ground that she almost smacked her head against the ice. The movement knocked the wind out of her, and for a brief second, she was torn between smacking him and kicking him for throwing her around like a doll. With his face hovering just inches above hers and that little smile tugging at his lips, however, all of the irritation faded away, and she couldn’t help but reach up and touch his cheek, brush his hair out of his eyes. 

For a moment, all of her fears and worries didn’t matter. For a moment, she could be with him and not feel humiliation or shame. 

For a moment, she thought that maybe he deserved better than her. 

But then that feeling fading as he gazed on her with utmost adoration and his thumb brushed against her lower lip because she _did_ love him, even if she wouldn’t dare say it out loud. It would _break_ her to say it out loud, to admit that someone had that much of a hold on her. All of the groaning and the sarcasm and the eye rolling was just an act, something she did to create boundaries. This? This was real. 

“Sea Hawk…” she whispered, and his lips came crashing down on hers passionately, feverishly, kissing her as if he had never kissed anyone before. She was breathless and longing for the warmth and the familiarity of his touch, and her hands tangled in his dark hair as his roamed and wandered over her body, exploring each little nook and crevice that he already knew so well. She parted her lips, allowing him to kiss her more fully, more deeply, and her head swirled with euphoria as he brought them back to an upright position and his hands cupped her blazing cheeks, drawing her closer, ever closer to him. He tasted like champagne with a hint of smoke, and his lips moved so expertly against hers that she thought that perhaps soulmates _did_ exist, that there were people who were just crafted and fitted perfectly to one another, against all odds. 

But that was all too romantic and nonsensical for her taste, so she just reveled in kissing him, in holding him as flame after flame lit up in her chest and traveled through her body, burning through her icy, hardened heart and waking something up inside of her that she thought had long lay dormant. He kissed her, and she couldn’t stop the shiver that shook through her as his hands glided across her shoulders, her neck, her stomach. She would give her whole self over to him as easily as she had so many times before, and she would feel no shame.

When he finally pulled away from her, she barely suppressed her whimper and the urge to pull him back in. But he was standing there smiling at her, staring at her like she was just as beautiful and mysterious as all the stars in the sky, and then he picked her up and spun her around amidst laughter and her half-hearted attempt to get him to put her down. 

When her feet finally hit the ground again, she threw her head back and laughed, and everything that had been weighing her down felt like it had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt happy; she felt _free_. 

“ _I’ll be waiting by the radio,_ ” he sang as he pressed little kisses to her cheek, her neck, her shoulders. “ _You’ll come back to me someday, I know. Been so lonesome since our last goodbye, but I’m singing as I cry-ay-ayyyyy--_ ”

“You’re an idiot,” she said with a roll of her eyes, and his grin grew wider. Though she’d never said it aloud, they both knew when she said, “You’re an idiot,” what she really meant was, “I love you.” 

As he leaned in for another kiss, the ground beneath them rumbled, and screams shattered the silence of the snowy night. Sea Hawk’s hand tightened around hers for a second, something like fear, but when their eyes met, she saw the excitement glistening in his, and she couldn’t help but feel excited as well. 

They would get to fight another day together, and in some ways, that felt more familiar to her than whatever had happened here tonight. 

“Guess you’ll get your action-packed Princess Prom after all,” she said.


End file.
